geecrochets

My mom taught me the basics of a chain stitch when I was a preteen. She is an avid hand quilter and crocheter, making hundreds of quilts that would be displayed for competitions in the 90’s or given to family members or beloved friends.

In my 20’s (before the internet as we know it) I had several odd jobs and one included sitting in ‘open houses’ while people walked through. It was excrutiating to sit in an empty home, with no internet or wifi, and wait for people to come in on a Sunday afternoon. When I was tired of studying I brought some yarn and started crocheting blankets with scraps I had lying around.

From 2006-2008 I embarked on a life journey and moved across the globe to Seoul, South Korea where I taught English in public schools. Of course I had to take some crochet hooks and yarn with me, the flight was 15 hours one-way. I continued to crochet blankets and scarves over the course of my time there and it became more of a monthly thing I did.

When I returned to Texas, crocheting was a way I could unwind and relax. Netflix was emerging as a DVD mail in program at this time and I found that I couldn’t just sit and watch a series. I had to crochet while watching. My 30’s became the decade that crocheting was a weekly thing, steadily increasing to daily. By this time I was mastering the granny square, pushing boundaries to create cute hats (not as great in Texas with this heat) and scarves, and some amigurimi from free patterns I found on Pinterest.

I made blankets for friends and family as gifts and people would give me free yarn once they knew more about how much I was crocheting. In the decade of my 30’s and early 40’s crocheting proved to be a daily habit that I couldn’t go without. Boyfriends, coworkers, and even some strangers received gifts that I created.

I joined a local yarn group called the Dallas Yarn Bombers, which opened me up to the idea of crocheting outside of the home and finding a community of creators who wanted to make an impact on the world. I also was diagnosed in my late 30’s with ADHD which made A LOT of sense as to why crocheting was addicting and therapeutic. The hyperfocus I would have on different patterns would fade after 3 or 4 tries and I would need the next dopamine fix with a good challenge.

I was able to find a second group of local crochet and fiber artists where we continue to meet monthly and expand what we know with each other and our DFW community. I have never been a fan of wearing what I create, even though I have attempted to create shirts or tank tops over the years.

At this point I am pushing myself outside of my groups and home to share goods that I’ve made using patterns from other crochet artists or adapted on my own.

As a middle-aged woman who doesn’t want to hoard these creations to myself and needs some extra cash, this is my way to share what I have been hyperfocused on in small doses and put myself out there.